1. Technical Field
This invention is related to the field of integrated circuit implementation, and more particularly to the implementation of bit slice functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computing systems may include one or more systems on a chip (SoC), which may integrate a number of different functions, such as, graphics processing, onto a single integrated circuit. With numerous functions included in a single integrated circuit, chip count may be kept low in mobile computing systems, such as tablets, for example, which may result in a smaller form factor for such mobile computing systems.
During the design of an SoC, different functional blocks may have different design requirements. In some cases, a functional block may require a level of precision that may only be achieved through manual design. For example, in some radio frequency blocks, electrical characteristics of some transistors may need to be precisely matched. Such matching may require careful crafting of the mask design artwork necessary for a semiconductor manufacturing process.
Other blocks may be of such complexity that automated software design tools may be employed to implement such a block. Models written in a hardware description language may be used to describe blocks that are to be implemented with automated software design tools. In some cases, libraries of pre-designed and pre-characterized sub-circuits or standard cells, may be employed in the implementation of a functional block.
As performance goals continue to increase, some complex functional blocks may have additional design requirements. For example, a complex block may be required to operate a certain frequency or operate within a pre-determined power budget. In such cases, automated software design tools may not be adequate to achieve the desired performance or area goals.